Tales of the Courier-Scattershot Landing
Darkness falls. Time has passed when darkness abates, seconds or minutes is not as important as the need to move. He face planted into the center console when he landed in the ride, it wasn’t made for faces. Willing his body to respond takes great concentration. He struggles mightily to raise himself in the seat. The ride is careening down the highway, not helping in the least.
Across the windshield, rain lashes in sheets, and the lightning show is heating up. A mass body wide funny bone hit, is the closest thing he can relate to this condition. Waiting for the worst of it to subside, he works on lifting his hands. He’s lucky, and knows it, as he gets a grip on the wheel.
By the look of things, the distance the ride has traveled on auto pilot, means he’s been out for roughly thirty minutes. No wonder his nose hurts. Still unable to raise his arms any higher than they are, he tries for some chit chat, get the old chords moving again. What comes out, isn’t so much speech as it is a grunt squeak. Not missing a beat, the empty seat beside him chimes in, he’s sure he can detect a hint of smugness in the voice.
“Detours can be costly, in more ways than one.” More silence, and then, “I thought you were aware of your pursuer.”
The silence spins out this time, he’s not going for anymore squeaks at the moment. He’s focusing on clenching his teeth together as body wide involuntary muscle spasms, begin making their way through his limbs. Stun bullets disintegrate on impact, but the shock pulse is highly effective. Grateful that momentum was on his side, he glances over the instruments. They are still inexplicably cloaked, the chatter on the AI radio show is for search and find. They are still unfound.
The detour was essential. Essential to 1courier’s agenda. It really didn’t help the mission with the empty and not empty seat beside him. The part that was troubling him was the nagging feeling he had missed a connection. It had almost come down to irrelevant back there at the dispatch, but that wasn’t important now. The most important thing at the moment was to stop the jitterbugs from the delightful taze he had received.
“We really should be on the way to Timblerain. We have already lost valuable time.” Now there’s a trace of irritation in the voice of the empty seat beside him. He grins, it’s a jittery grin. Still no need to try squeaking any response so he focuses on Timblerain instead. He thinks of the AI and the vast highway system that envelops the gargantuan city. It all begins to glow from within and that strange ethereal light ignites!
One blink and they are on the outer beltway leading around the southern side of Timblerain. The ride increases speed significantly to pace the other AI driven traffic. The leap across universes has somehow knocked out the worst of the stun effect and he is able to move more freely. Only a slight jitter remains. Within minutes they are in route to the city center. The disembodied voice begins dropping a few more details.
“The destination is already set within navigation. Arrival time has been adjusted to compensate for the unscheduled, detour. Escort will intercept in five minutes.” Then that spooky, all silence again. An escort was unexpected but welcome at this point. He wanted this leg of the journey complete so he and cheeky could have that heart to heart.
As their escort arrives and signals, cheeky hits the airwaves on the AI radio show. “Scheduled delivery 1courier, you’re 10 minutes out, you’re arrival is anticipated.”
It feels like business as usual, and he checks the m-com link once more, to confirm a side hunch. With ease and great road presence, the ride absorbs the miles and within ten minutes they have arrived. A large steel, vehicle security gate bars entrance to an imposing and well fortified structure. There is a security station at the gate but it is enclosed and no visible personnel man the station. The steel gate begins rolling back as the ride approaches.
He is reminded of the ominous structure that was there and not there, when he boarded this train. Places that stay in one place were less complicated and easier to find. But where would the fun be in that? As the ride eases to a stop in front of the building he removes the item he retrieved at the dispatch from a small case, and attaches it to his belt. There is a small electric beep as the item activates. From the empty seat beside him another ominous newsflash issues, flat and final.
“Sidebets were not a part of the deal 1courier. Breech of contract brings consequences, this place was designed to counter the effect of the key. You will not be leaving.” He grins, game on.
